The poll indicates a majority of whites say they aren't Michael Jackson fans; three-quarters of non-white respondents, which includes African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asians, say they were fans of the singer.

The survey suggests there's a partisan difference as well.

"Democrats are fans of the deceased singer; Republicans are not - but since women, young people and minorities are more likely to be Democrats, the difference between Democrats and Republicans on Michael Jackson is probably due mostly to the demographic differences between the parties," adds Holland.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted June 26-28, in the days immediately after Jackson's death, with1,026 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

–CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report